This book is quite engaging and entertaining. I borrowed it in the hope that Ms Crompton's work for adults would be as amusing and funny as her main character - William. I expected to be disappointed and I was but it's a fairly good book none the less. The story concerns a family where the children are sent to various relatives because their mother is temporarily absent from home and the children's experiences. The children seem to be sent to the 'wrong' family, except in the case of Stella, and we see how the children might have been happier elsewhere. Crompton is obviously happier when writing about the young boy (Bobby Pembury) and the chapter about him going off on his own is a model of the genre. In the end I did care enough about the characters to be pleased that they were happily reunited and had grown through their experiences but was not completely engrossed - rather like people at a party who are interesting when there but you wouldn't want to continue the friendship. A book that's well worth reading and the Birmingham Library has some more of her novels that I might take out. Maybe it's time for a rediscovery of Richamal Crompton? ( )